


Sunflowers

by ciaconnaa



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Gen, Nick-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-25
Updated: 2016-06-25
Packaged: 2018-07-18 05:29:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7301386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ciaconnaa/pseuds/ciaconnaa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first two weeks of Nick Wilde's police career would be considered incredibly boring by most, if not all, mammals. But it doesn't mean it's not important.</p>
<p>or; in which Nick has to spend his first two weeks as an officer hacking it alone, and meets some unforgettable people along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sunflowers

Officer Nick Wilde’s first day is much quieter than he had expected.

It’s probably a good thing. Okay, not probably—it’s _definitely_ a good thing because as he’s learned at the academy, crime is _bad_. When there’s big bad baddies doing big bad crimes, cars get smashed, animals get shot, old subway trains holding drug ring evidence topple over and _explode._ Sometimes you get hit with a blueberry, but Nick’s pretty sure that’s a fluke that’ll never happen again.

And of course Nick doesn’t _want_ another missing mammal case, but at the same time he has to admit: he’s _bored._ He applied as Judy’s partner and every day he was running those courses he imagined them hitting the streets to bust other crime syndicates and catch murderers but his dreams are squashed his first day on the job when Bogo hands him a bright orange vest and keys to a jokemobile.

“City’s quiet,” Bogo tells him gruffly. “As soon as there’s a case, you can have it but for now….parking duty.”

Nick wants to argue, make some sort of joke, but his muscles are _still_  screaming from his morning workout and he never did get that nap he promised to catch every single day at the academy so in truth, he thinks that a day of assigning tickets might just be what the doctor—or chief, in this case—ordered.

Judy would hate this, but lucky for her she’s taken a mandatory two weeks’ vacation to Bunnyburrow: Bogo’s orders. And unlike Judy, Nick doesn’t really mind parking duty for his first day. He’s kinder in giving citizens at least a few more minutes before making a second round and slapping a bright orange ticket under their wiper. He doesn’t print that many—maybe two dozen or so—before the sun sets and he’s ready to go home.

His first day is one of the most boring days of his life, but Nick knows as an officer, this is a good thing.

 

* * *

 

The next few days are the same: write a ticket, slap it on the car, and so on and so forth. It isn’t until Friday at the end of his first week does someone even _acknowledge_ his existence.

“Um, excuse me?”

Nick blinks at the high pitched voice, his pen poised over his ticket pad. When he looks down he finds a small child, a squirrel, gently tugging on his pant leg. He quirks a brow and waits.

“Are you a police officer?” the squirrel asks.

Nick has been dreading that question since he graduated. He’s imagined being asked it in a hundred different sneering voices that can’t believe, _won’t believe_ , that he’s….qualified for such a job, considering who he is. But this child isn’t disgusted, isn’t scared—okay, well, he is scared, but not of him.

So he gives him his best smile and taps the gold-plated nametag pinned to his uniform. “Nick Wilde, ZPD. What can I do for you?”

“I’m lost,” he whispers in a voice that should be reserved for those frightened in the middle of the night, not for sunny summer days. He wrings his hands together as his lips quivers. “Momma said if I ever get lost to find the police and you’ll help me find her.”

Nick takes a knee so he’s face to face with the little squirrel. “Momma was absolutely right. We’ll get you back home, don’t worry. What’s your name?”

“Sam,” he says, and she already looks a little less frightened. “You promise?”

“Ranger Scout’s honor,” he promises and briefly wonders if that’s considered some sort of blasphemy, but he shrugs the feeling away as he takes his hand.

He pats his belt for his phone and remembers that it’s dead—he wasted all the battery playing games in the downtime he’s had that morning. The precinct is only a block away so Nick decides they’ll walk there. He knows his mother is probably worried sick, and Sam is pretty scared, but for some reason he thinks that stopping at the small ice cream stand on the way is a good idea. Sam gets a rainbow popsicle and  Nick orders a vanilla cone that mostly ends up dribbling down his wrist and getting his fur all sticky. But he definitely thinks it’s all worth it when Sam giggles and smiles wide, showing off his red blue stained teeth.

They wait in the lobby as Clawhauser calls Sam’s mom, the number which Sam has luckily remembered. His mom, Maria, shows up just 10 minutes later, looking relieved as any parent would.

“Thanks Mister Officer,” Sam tells him once his mother is done squeezing him half to death and half-heartedly berating him for wandering off in the first place.

Nick feels awkward being on the receiving end of gratitude—it’s not something he’s use to—but he finds he likes the feeling. With a kind smile and a two-fingered salute he says his goodbye and watches as mother and son leave to finish their errands for the day.

“You’re lucky,” Clawhauser tells him. “A lot of kids who get lost can’t stop screaming.”

He shrugs. “I bought him ice cream. Can’t cry with an ice cream in your hand.”

“Mmm,” Clawhauser agrees as he looks longingly at the empty box of donuts left on his desk. “I love ice cream. Hey, if you’re ever by Little Rodentia, you should check out the ice cream stand there. They have some really good pawpsicles.”

Nick takes off his sunglasses and wipes the smudge on his lenses with his sleeve, trying to hide the smile creeping on his face. “Oh? I’ll keep that in mind.”

  

* * *

 

The next noteworthy thing that happens starts with a crash and few loud gasps in the street. Nick’s in the middle of writing yet another parking ticket when his ears perk at the sound and he whirls around to see the aftermath of a car wreck. It’s not serious, nothing more than a fender bender, but it’s Nick’s job to double check and to arrive at the scene anyhow.

The animals involved—a jaguar and a pig—are already getting out of the car when he walks over. “Hey, is everyone okay?” Nick calls.

He prepares for some of the worst: yelling, shouting, unkind accusations. But it doesn’t happen. The jaguar nods his head. “I’m fine. Are you okay?” he asks the pig, who looks like she’s about to cry.

“I’m so sorry,” she apologizes. “It was all my fault.” She turns to Nick and repeats herself. “It was all my fault officer. I made a mistake and hit him. I really am sorry.”

“Oh, I know you are,” the jaguar tries to soothe and his accent is familiar, sounds like something from Rainforest District. “It was only an accident. And no one is hurt. And look! The damage is not so severe. It will be fine. Please do not cry.”

But Nick feels the need to point out that the pig hasn’t actually said she’s fine. “Ma’am, are you sure you’re all right?”

“Oh, I’m fine, I’m fine,” she waves him off and Nick doesn’t feel the need to press. It is practically the smallest fender bender he’s seen. “Sir, I really am so sorry about your car.”

“I know. It was only an accident. Everything will be fine. Please, I beg of you, do not cry.”

She keeps her tears at bay and Nick’s job is pretty easy after that. Both their cars work and there’s no reason to call a tow truck. Joe and Martha, their names turn out to be, exchange numbers and Nick scribbles the citation for a court date to a willing Martha and they part ways amicably.

“Hey,” Joe calls right before they all go their separate ways. “I know you. You saved my brother.”

“Excuse me?”

Joe’s smiling and pointing his way. “The missing mammal case. There was a jaguar, Max Manchez. My brother. You found him.”

Once again, Nick feels overwhelmed with feelings he’s not used to. He’s hasn’t really had anyone been proud of him or been thankful for his work, not since Judy came into his life. Speaking of which: “That was all Judy Hopps, sir. She did most of the heavy lifting, I just tagged along.”

The jaguar shook his head. “Regardless. I am thankful. I am glad that they have someone like you protecting our city.”

Nick’s eyes go wide at the compliment and Joe’s smile grows before he waves goodbye and drives off.

He’s left alone on the sidewalk, the street strangely quiet for being around twilight and says “You’re welcome,” into the wind.

 

* * *

 

The next car accident he attends to isn’t so minor.

Nick’s been alone for a little over a week since Judy took some time off back in Bunnyburrow, so he’s solo when he races to the scene of the accident, sirens blinking red and blue in the rainy black night. His eyes catch the time on his dash—12:33am—before he leaps out and runs to the car crunched at the bottom of a dip in the road. By some miracle, he’s beat the paramedics, so he knows that he can’t do much, but he can do _something._

“Hello?” he screams over the drizzling rain as he tumbles through the mud down to the car. “Hello, can anyone hear me?”

The airbags had deployed and he can see blood running down the rabbit’s face. His heart sinks when he realizes that yes this is a _rabbit,_ but not grey—the fur is brown, yet the eyes are eerily similar when they stare up at him, confused, pained, _frightened._

“I can’t get out,” she croaks, head resting against the airbag. He sees a trickle of blood coming out of her left ear. “I can’t get out.”

Nick swallows and tries to step closer to the car that’s crashed into this ditch. His feet slide in the mud and he slips into the smashed door, coming face to face with her in what is now an open window, considering the wreck shattered the glass.

“I can’t get out,” she repeats. She starts to move and lets out a pained yelp.

“Whoa, whoa,” Nick says as gently as he can. “It’s going to be okay. Paramedics are on their way.” She tries to move again, but she’s pinned by the car door that’s concaved around her. “Hey,” he whispers, and he reaches for her, but doesn’t touch. “You can’t move.”

“I know,” she whines, and she finally starts to cry, tears mixing with her blood. “Can you get me out?”

“No I meant…” He wants to, thinks he probably can with a little tug here and a little tug there but, “I can’t,” he says, shouts, over the rain that’s picking up. “I can’t move you without a paramedic. If you’ve hurt your neck or spine and I—“

“Please,” she begs. “It hurts.”

Violet. Why did her eyes have to be _violet?_ “I’m so sorry. I can’t move you,” he tells her and this time when he reaches for her he grabs an uninjured paw resting on the wheel. “The paramedics should be here any _second.”_

The girl whimpers.

“What’s your name?” he asks, trying to distract her, trying to get a feel for how serious her injuries are.

“Juniper,” she sniffles. “What’s yours?”

“Nicholas. How old are you?”

“20.” His heart sinks a little more. She’s just a kid. “How old are _you_?”

“Old enough to be an exhibit in the Natural History Museum.”

She doesn’t laugh but she gives a small, pained smile, and Nick thinks maybe he’s helping.

“It hurts,” she whines again and she’s starts to cry a little louder. “It hurts, please, _please_ get me out.”

In the distance, Nick hears he sirens of the ambulance. “Do you hear that? They’re coming. They’re on the way. They’re gonna get you out. _We’re_ gonna get you out. I’m not leaving, okay?” he squeezes her hand. “I’m not going to leave you until you get out.”

“Promise?”

“Ranger Scout’s honor.”

The paramedics get to them two minutes later and it’s a blur of EMTs and heavy tools as they rip the door of Juniper’s car and get her out. Nick stays by her side as closely as he can without getting in the EMT’s way as they load her up to the ambulance.

“Nicholas,” Juniper calls out as they put a neck brace on her. “I don’t want to be alone.”

“You’re not alone, sweetie,” one of the EMTs says, answering for him. “I got you. We all got you.”

“We’re going to call your parents,” Nick promises, glancing at her car. “We’ll tell them what’s happened and where you are. You’re going to be fine.”

The EMTs rush, but don’t look frazzled, so Nick hopes that means Juniper isn’t in danger of flat lining at a moment’s notice. Then again, being calm is probably in the job description. It sure as hell is in his.

The ambulance races from view, the sirens fade, and Nick is left with mud in his shoes and a heavy heart.

 

* * *

 

The next day Nick answers the call of an old friend.

Constantine Stripes is the best seamstress in all of Zootopia, as well as one of his former bosses. Back before his perpetual hustling days, Nick worked odd jobs, and one of them happened to be sewing sequences on outfits of an upcoming superstar Gazelle.

He’s never met her, hasn’t really cared to, but Constantine spoke so highly of her back when he worked for her. Her son is one of Gazelle’s back-up dancers and says she’s just the sweetest thing she’s ever seen. Nick has a hard time believing that simply because Constantine is already about as nice as they come, so how could anyone be _nicer?_ In fact, she’s so nice that Nick can’t help but agree to work as a replacement for Gazelle’s security on her concert that evening when Constantine calls in a favor.

He meets Gazelle, finally, briefly, and he does have to admit she is very nice. They don’t talk much, but he does manage to get autographs for Clawhauser, Judy, and even Bogo before he takes his leave to his post where he proceeds to check bags and make sure that no one is going to cause a ruckus.

But of course, someone _does_ cause a ruckus—a group of kangaroos that try to sneak in contraband in their pouches.

“Sorry guys—no booze allowed.” Nick tells them before he can let them in.

He expects a confrontation, some kangaroo feet kicking his goddamn teeth in, but it doesn’t come. “Aw, man.” One of them slouches. “It was worth a try though. No worries mate, we’ll leave it here.” One of the kangaroo’s gestures to his other two friends. “C’mon guys, drop the goods.”

They empty out a six-pack of beer and a bottle of vodka between them and Nick is mildly impressed. “Hey…there’s no rule against us gettin’ a buzz before we go in, is there?” one of them asks.

He can’t let anyone that’s drunk off their ass in but as for a buzz? “I have to collect this _but,”_ Nick laughs when all three simultaneously grin. “I don’t think one shot could hurt.”

Most people are already in the concert (he can hear Gazelle singing the first song in her repertoire) as he lets them step aside. The biggest of the group cracks open the bottle of cheap vodka and takes a swig and passes it along before they hand it to Nick. “Here you go. Sorry for trying to pull one over on you.”

Nick smiles, glad that this isn’t going as bad as it could. “Just don’t do it again.”

“Hey, c’mon do a shot!” the small one cheers.

“I can’t,” Nick laughs. “I’m working and,” he gestures up and down at his uniform. “I promised my partner I’d be on the straight, no matter how silly the infraction might be.”

“Alright, mate. I’ll respect that. See you around, copper.”

They go in, the concert goes on, and Nick even has the time to tap his toes once or twice.

 

* * *

 

After the concert ends it is well into the middle of the night so Nick thinks, screw it, might as well stay up for the rest of the night. He picks up a coffee at a 24-hour Stagbucks and takes the scenic route back to his apartment when he spots two ladies walking outside of a bar.

“Oh, Kayla, look! Look, it’s an officer. Hello!” she calls him over. “Officer, over here!”

Nick walks over and is assaulted with the faint smell of booze that’s stuck to her clothing and wafting through the night breeze. “Good evening, ladies. Is there a problem?”

“Not really, but,” they share a look looking rather _sheepish,_ if he’s allowed to say as much. “Do you think…you’d mind walking us home?”

Nick blinks once, twice, _three_ times. No one has ever asked him to walk them home. He always assumed it was the fact that he was a predator, a _fox,_ combined with his no-nonsense attitude and solitary tendencies. But these two sheep are looking at him, bashful and a bit drunk, with hope in their eyes.

“We’re sorry. We didn’t mean to drink so much,” Kayla admits. “We go to the university and they say we can call campus police, but we just thought since we saw you—“

“—and you’re the fox cop, the first one! I talked about you in my criminal science class a few times,” the other one, Macy, as she introduces explains. “And we were just hoping—“

He snaps out of it and gives them a smile. “Um, of course.” He takes a deep breath and relaxes and wonders if you can get _drunk_ off of _feelings._ He’ll have to ask Judy when she gets back. “You tell me where to go, I’ll see to it that you get home safely.”

They don’t live far away at all; ten minutes, tops. In the mean time they chat to him in drunken babble about their studies (they’re both _physicists_ and Nick feels like he’s getting a hangover just trying to understand their theories) and how much they really do love school like a couple of _nerds_ and then—

Then they get mugged.

Or at least, the mugger _tries._ The raccoon puts up a fight, but the academy had made him stronger and Nick is able to pin and cuff him before he can take anything or harm the girls.

As for him? Well, he suffers, just a bit.

Kayla lets out a yelp and cry of, “Your leg!” when he looks down to see the small knife the raccoon had embedded in his thigh.

Great.

He calls for a little back up and Delgato and McHorn roll up in a cruiser, trying and failing to keep their comments about how he looks like shit to themselves. Nick is too tired to complain and honestly, if he looks anything like he feels, they’re right anyway. Wearily, he asks his colleagues if they’ll finish the escort mission for him while he limps home.

“No way, Wilde,” Delgato gruffs. “You’re coming in the cruiser. We’ll drop them off, then dump you at the hospital.”

“I can take care of it,” Nick shrugs. “Just one question: does it get better or worse if I pull the knife out right away?”

McHorn, Delgato, and even Macy and Kayla share a look of exasperation before he’s dragged into the cruiser and eventually dumped at an ER.

 

* * *

 

He’s walking past Mr. Otterton’s flower shop when he sees a bouquet of irises and remembers Juniper.

Well to be fair, he remembers _Judy,_ but then he remembers Juniper. The knife that went into his leg wasn’t deep at all—all they needed to do was shave a bit of his fur, stitch him up, slap a bandaid on him, and he was ready to go.  An hour was all it took due to a somewhat empty ER at the odd hour of the night, and then he was back home, hoping to catch a few hours of sleep.

He gets maybe three, then it’s back to work.

He’s thinking about sending some flowers to her room (he has her information that he collected from paramedics when he needed to contact her family) when a somewhat old vixen sidles up next to him.

“Oh my. Aren’t those just the prettiest flowers you’ve ever seen?”

“Gorgeous,” Nick agrees quickly. The vixen is about to say something else when some lemur in scrubs comes jogging up.

“Angela!” she cries, a little out of breath. She wraps her arm around hers. “You’re not supposed to walk away like that, we talked about this!”

The vixen doesn’t seem to care. “I’m so sorry….Carol. I just couldn’t resist the flowers.”

The lemur (Carol, apparently) sighs. “Sorry, sir. I’m a new nurse, they warned me that she was a wanderer but—“

Nick holds up a paw. “It’s not a problem. Just” His eyes flicker to the shop. “…wait here.”

He slips in and out of the store as quickly as one can when Mr. Otterton wants to catch up with the hero that saved his life (his words, not Nick’s) with a bouquet of irises in one hand, and a single bright, yellow sunflower in the other. Carol and Angela have stayed, and he’s s _till_ not used to people listening to him. This uniform is magic. Regardless, he hands Angela the sunflower. “Here,” he says, smiling brightly. “Something gorgeous for someone gorgeous.”

Angela’s face lights up. “Well aren’t you too sweet! These are my favorite.” She reaches out and pats Nick’s shoulders. “I used to have a garden a long time ago, if you can believe that, Officer? Carol, look. Isn’t this pretty?”

Carol smiles fondly and mouths a _thank you_ at Nick. “It’s beautiful. I’ll put it in some water for you when we get you home, okay?”

“Oh alright. Well thank you—“ she leans forward and reads his nametag. “Nicholas. Oh, what a lovely name.”

Nick smiles, something softer this time. “Thank you. Have a nice day, ma’am.”

“You too, dear!”

He grips the irises in his paw a little tighter and makes his way back to the hospital.

 

* * *

 

When he makes his way up to Juniper’s room, he realizes why the eyes looked so familiar.

“Nich’las!” Stu Hopps exclaims. “Oh, Bonnie, look who’s here.”

“Yes, Stu, I can see him,” Bonnie says with fond exasperation before she gives Nick a small smile. “Hello, Nick, dear. How are you doing?”

His eyes flicker to Juniper who is sitting upright in her bed, grinning like the sun. “I’m fine,” Nick swallows, very confused, and grips the flowers a little tighter.

“Are those for me?” Juniper asks, and Nick nods. “Aww, thank you! Aunt Bonnie, can you put those in water for me?”

_Aunt Bonnie. Juniper is Judy’s cousin,_ Nick thinks as Bonnie takes the flowers off Nick’s paws. “Judy’s been trying to call you, but you haven’t picked up.”

Judy. If her parents are here that must mean—“Is she back in the city?” he asks, reaching into his pocket for his phone. He’s accidentally put it on silent and sure enough, there are two text messages, four missed calls, and a voice mail from _Carrots._

“Yes. When I heard one of my favorite nieces got in a car accident in Zootopia, we offered Judy an early ride home so we could all visit her in the hospital since her parents live even further away than Bunnyburrow.”

“I told them not to come,” Juniper stresses, as if Nick fears he’ll think less of her parents for not being there. “I may be in the hospital, but it’s no reason to drive 9 hours just for a few broken bones and a concussion. But Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Stu were nice enough to stop by since Judy needed to come back anyway.”

Judy, Judy, Judy. All this talk, and he doesn’t see her. He looks left and right. “Where is Judy, anyway?”

“Oh, she went on down to the station to talk to y’all’s boss. She figured you’d been workin’, and was hopin’ to meet you later,” Stu explains.

Nick nods dumbly again and puts his phone away before he turns to Juniper. “I thought you looked a lot like Judy, but I didn’t want to say anything. She would kill me if I even _insinuated_ the all bunnies looked a lot alike.”

Juniper snickers. “It’s the eyes, right? Don’t worry—even she can’t deny that we look quite a bit alike. Now that that’s all sorted,” Juniper looks to the flowers on the side table that Bonnie’s set up. “What’s with the flowers?”

Nick plays it cool. He stuffs his hands in his pockets and rocks back and forth on the balls of his feet. “Just following up on your case. I saw the flowers as I was walking back from lunch and wanted to make sure you were doing okay.”

“Oh, isn’t that the sweetest thing,” Bonnie coos and Juniper looks suspiciously…smug. “Judy was right, you’re just the bee’s knees.”

He nearly chokes. Bee’s knees? Did Judy actually say he was the _bee’s knees?_ Just how much of a country bumpkin did she revert to when she spoke to her parents? Regardless, he can’t help but flush under the compliment.

“Judy said you’d make a great cop,” Stu says proudly. “And after everything Jun Bug here has told me, I’d agree. She said you were a big help, son. Thanks for lookin’ after the family.”

That sobers Nick, if only a bit. He cocks his head to the side as he slips his shades off his head and puts them in the front pocket of his uniform. “I really was just doing my job. Cops are supposed to serve and protect. I’m sure Judy has told you all about it.”

“We know,” Bonnie agrees, “But—“

“You really cared,” Juniper interrupts. “I was scared and you did everything you could do make me feel better. You didn’t leave my side. Hell, you even—“

“Juniper! Language!”

“—you even brought me flowers to check up on me. And that was before you knew I was Judy’s family. You didn’t have to do all that. You did it because you cared. Because you’re a really good cop.” Juniper grins. “You’re going to do great things, Nicholas Wilde. I’m glad my cousin has a partner like you.”

Nick can’t believe what a week it’s been. He knows that there’s crime and there’s big bad baddies doing big bad things and he wants to stop them, wants to fight evil and do good, but he knows that he’s going to be forever thankful for these first two weeks he’s had on the force. He’s spent it alone—a bummer at first—but now he can’t think of anything better. Judy’s back, they’re going to be partners, and he’s going to be better because of it, but…the kindness, the respect, the _smiles_ that the citizens of Zootopia have shown him are going to keep him going when there’s theft and murder and _evil._ Not everyone will approve of a fox cop and it’s only a matter of time before he encounters said animals but for now…

…it’s nice to know that maybe, just maybe, most mammals don’t mind at all.

“Thank you,” he says quietly, respectfully, before he wishes Juniper a speedy recovery and heads home.

 

* * *

 

“I can’t believe you went to a _Gazelle concert! Without me!”_

Judy nearly knocks his water over in her excitement but Nick reaches out and keeps it from toppling over on the outdoor patio table they’re seated at just in time. “I was only security detail. I stood outside the whole time.”

This does nothing to placate her. She bites vigorously into her veggie burger and Nick has to admit it’s pretty cute. Judy doesn’t have the _best_ table manners, especially when she’s as excited as she is. “Ugh, I’m so jealous,” she admits, mouth full of food. Nick reaches over and wipes the corner of her mouth clean with the pad of his thumb. “Did you meet her?”

“Meet who?”

“Nick!”

He chuckles. “Yes.” She gasps, and he holds a paw up, begging her to let him finish. “But before you get your fuzzy-wuzzy little tail in a knot, I was thinking ahead. I got you something.”

She watches him reach into his wallet and he shakes it open as a picture holder tumbles out to reveal wallet sized photos that he’s printed out. Most of them are of him and Judy, some are with Finnick, and one of Gazelle herself. “It’s one of those collectable cards they have of her, but look, she—“

“She _signed it!”_ Judy squeals, nearly ripping the thing in two as she yanks it out of his paw. She reads it out loud. _“Thanks for all your hard work, Judy, Love, Gazelle._ Oh my God! She wrote my name!”

“Yes,” Nick agrees. “I gave it to her. She knew who you were.”

_“SHE KNOWS WHO I AM?”_

He nearly covers his ears. “Yes, Judy. Everyone does at this point, remember?”

She blinks, calming significantly. “Oh yeah.” But then the excitement comes rushing back as she gazes longingly at the autograph in her paws. “Oh, man, I can’t believe I got a personalized autograph! Thank you so much, Nick!”

“Not a problem, Carrots. Besides, I knew if I went and didn’t get you one, you’d find a way to get me fired.”

“That’s not true--!”

“I’m just teasing.”

Judy shrugs it off and gives a dreamy sigh before she hands the card back to Nick. “Can you keep this until we get off work? I don’t want to bend it.”

Nick thinks of teasing her some more, but figures she’s had enough and pockets the card without complaint. They continue to finish up their lunch before they have to head back to work when he spots someone familiar wandering down the streets.

“Mr. Otterton’s flower shop…” Nick mumbles and Judy frowns, turning her head to the sidewalk behind them.

“What? What’s going on?”

He blinks before stands up, metal chair screeching against the hot concrete. “I got to take care of something. I’ll meet you back at the station.” Nick doesn’t wait for an answer before he hops over the small metal enclosure that surrounds the outdoor café seating and nearly jogs down the street where a familiar vixen has just walked into Mr. Otterton’s flower shop.

“Well aren’t these just the prettiest flowers I’ve ever seen,” she says dreamily when Nick walks in, the bell signaling his arrival chiming above his head.

Mr. Otterton smiles, but Nick sees the nervous look in his eyes as he glances at the vixen, wearing slippers, a dressing gown, a _winter coat_ , and her right arm covered in medical bracelets. He knows just as much as Nick that she shouldn’t be here alone.

“Hey, Angela,” Nick says slowly, and Angela looks up at him, slightly surprised.

“Oh, have we met?” she cocks her head to the side, looking lost. She blinks. “How do you know my name?”

“It’s me, Nicholas?” he asks, slowly, tentatively, but figures it’s a lost cause. “We met yesterday. You were with Carol?”

“Carol?” She taps her chin in thought. “I don’t….I’m not sure…”

Nick fights a sigh. “She’s your nurse?”

“I thought Tess was my nurse.”

He blinks. “Tess? Okay then. Let’s find Tess. Why don’t you come with me, Ma’am? I’ll help you find her. We’ll get you to where you need to be okay?”

Angela nods, but her eyes are still on the flowers. She looks like she’s in another world and quite frankly, Nick figures she is. “I used to have sunflowers in my garden. They’re my favorite.”

Nick reaches into his pocket for cash but Mr. Otterton is already handing her one from an arrangement. “Well in that case, why don’t you have this one? It’s the biggest and brightest one we got.”

“Oh, why aren’t you the sweetest,” Angela coos. “But I don’t have my wallet—“

“It’s on me,” Mr. Otterton assures her. “Call it a gift. From one gardener to another.”

“Thank you, darling. You sure know how to put a smile on an old lady’s face.”

Nick reaches over and put a paw on Angela’s shoulder as he mouths a _thank you_ to Mr. Otterton. “Okay, ma’am, how about we get going but first—“ he tugs ever so slightly on her coat, “—let’s take your coat off. It’s 85 degrees out.”

“That warm? Oh my…such bizarre weather for winter, don’t you think?”

It’s not winter, it’s the middle of the summer, and Mr. Otterton looks grief-stricken at the realization of just how confused the old vixen is. He opens his mouth, surely to correct her, but Nick beat him to the punch.

“Very bizarre,” he agrees. “But see? I’m even wearing my short sleeved dress shirt. So you don’t need the coat.”

She stares at him, particularly at the small sweat stains around his armpits and neck and shrugs off your coat. “Okay. Let’s go find Tess. She’s so sweet. She makes me lunch every day, did you know?”

“That’s very nice,” Nick agrees and holds the door open for her while he holds the heavy winter coat in the other arm. “What do you think you’ll have today?”

“Grilled cheese and tomato soup sounds nice.”

Nick exaggerates his excitement for her amusement and throws back his head with a delighted whoop. “Ooh, man! You are one lucky lady. Grilled cheese and tomato soup are my favorite.”

They walk down the boulevard towards _Happy Days,_ the nearest nursing home about three blocks down, and Angela slows her already slow walk just a bit. “How funny!” she laughs. “Grilled cheese is my son’s favorite as well.”

He grips her arm just a bit tighter, and tugs her along, trying to get her out of the heat. “Yeah?”

“Oh, yes.” She looks up at him. “He’d eat it every night if I let him. But he’s only eight, he’s a growing boy; he needs a well-rounded diet, with lots of fruits and veggies. And not just those blueberries.”

“Blueberries are good,” Nick defends and Angela chuckles.

“But my, can they be messy. He got them in his Junior Ranger Scout’s uniform. He’s got initiation later and I’ve still got to get the stain out.”

“I’m sure you’ll get that whipper-snapper’s uniform lookin’ sharp in no time, ma’am.”

Their pace is agonizingly slow and Nick is sweating bullets, but he _finally_ gets her to the nursing home where he sits her down in one of the lobby chairs and grabs her a plastic cup of water for her to drink. “Wait here,” he tells her before he heads over to the welcome desk.

“Welcome to _Happy Days_ , what can I do for you?” the desk attendant says.

He wants to berate them for letting Angela wander alone but he knows he can’t be easy to look after her. Besides, he doesn’t want her to feel like a prisoner. He wants her to be able to leave when she wants but at the same time, someone here should make sure she doesn’t leave _alone._ It is their damn job after all.

“Hey, I’m here to return my mother, Angela Wilde?” Nick says, voice a little ragged and parched from the sticky heat. “I found her wandering alone a few blocks down,” he explains, laying her coat on the counter.

The desk attendant, a zebra named Hector looks past Nick and frowns. “Oh gosh! I’m so sorry. Her regular nurse is on a two week leave and we had to get a replacement. Carol is sweet, but I don’t think she’s dealt with someone like Angie before.”

“I know, but…” Nick sighs, running a paw down his muzzle. “…can you please make sure it doesn’t happen again?” he says quietly, sternly.

Hector is already typing into the computer. “I’ll assign her another nurse along with Carol until Tess gets back. We’re really sorry.”

He knows they are, and besides, his mother is fine, so he figures there’s no need to put up much of a fuss, so he drops it. This time. “Okay, thank you.” He turns around and already sees a few nurses talking to his mother, asking how she is. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll just see that she gets back up to her room before I get back to work.”

“Of course, go right on ahead.”

Nick takes Angela’s arm and helps her down the hall to the elevator where they go up to the second floor to room 22. She has her own small apartment with a small kitchenette (microwave, sink, fridge—no oven or stove) as well as a small sitting area and her bedroom and bathroom off to the side.

“Thank you so much, officer,” Angela tells him as he helps her to her seat. A nurse goes to the sink and gets her another glass of water.

“Want me to put this in a vase?” he asks, pointing to her sunflower.

“Oh yes, please,” she tells him and he puts the flower in the vase with the other lone one he had bought for her yesterday. “Where’s Tess? It’s lunch time.”

A nurse, this one named Bobby, says, “You hungry? We’ll go down to the cafeteria then and get you something, Mrs. Wilde. What would you like?”

“Hmm? Oh, I’m not sure….”

Nick turns the vase to let the flowers face the window. “What about grilled cheese and tomato soup?” he asks.

Her eyes light up. “Oh! That sounds delightful. You know, that’s my son’s favorite.”

“Really?” Nick asks softly. “It’s a good favorite.”

“You’d like him,” Angela tells him as Nick wanders over, sitting in the chair next to hers. “He’s a cheeky little thing, but he’s a good boy. He’s a bit troubled, but he’s going to turn out just fine. A mother knows.”

Nick swallows thickly. “I’m sure you’re right.”

“He’ll turn out to be a fine fox when he grows up, just like you. Though a fox cop, why, I never thought I’d see the day….”

She looks at him so warmly, but she doesn’t _realize._ It hurts.

Angela reaches over and smooths a crinkle in his tie. “Your mother must be so proud.”

Their eyes meet and Nick’s heart breaks.

“She is,” he whispers.

She then excuses herself to the bathroom leaving Nick to feel empty and broken and _hurt._ Bobby doesn’t say anything, and he’s grateful for that, so he uses the few moments of alone time that he has to try and gather as much of his composure and sanity that he has to push back the tears he feels prickling in his eyes.

When Angela emerges from the bathroom, drying her hands on a towel, she looks over at Nick at the table with surprise. “Oh, hello,” she says. “I didn’t know I was having company. What’s your name?”

By some miracle, he finds his voice. “I’m Nicholas.”

“Nicholas….”

His heart races thinks maybe this time, maybe today, oh, maybe just _maybe_ she’ll connect the dots…

“…That’s a lovely name.”

He slouches, sighs, but remembers his manners. “Thank you.” He looks up to Bobby and says, “I was just here talking to your new nurse. I didn’t mean to disturb you, ma’am. I’m on my way out.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble,” Angela promises. “It’s so nice to make new friends.”

He can’t take it anymore. He can’t. He gives his mother a nod goodbye and hurries out, heading back to work.

 

* * *

 

When he makes it back to the station, he’s gone over his lunch break by ten minutes.

“Where have you been?” Judy asks. “You’re late and I had to tell Bogo—“

He cuts her off. “Someone was lost and needed my help,” Nick says, not unkindly, but his tone leaves no room for elaboration.

So Judy doesn’t ask again, and they get back to work.

 

* * *

 

Two days later the big bad baddies doing big bad things are back, and Nick and Judy are thrown into a whirlwind of stakeouts, interrogations, and evidence cataloging. It’s a lot more stressful than his two week cushion of parking duty and booze confiscating, but it’s worth it. It’s another side of police work but it’s just as important as helping a lost squirrel finds his mom, and Nick loves it.

They’re two weeks into a case when he gets a visit from Mr. Otterton on his lunch break. He embarrassingly wipes his mouth of blueberry vinaigrette before he tosses Judy the plastic spoon he got in his take out silverware pack and begs her to stop slurping her cereal they have _company._ Mr. Otterton laughs fondly before he places the arrangement of sunflowers that are in his paws on his desk.

“What’s this for?” Nick asks, staring dumbly at the bouquet.

“Oooh, secret admirer,” Judy teases before she reaches at the stems for the card.

“That old vixen, the one you helped get home the other week, called my store this morning.” Mr. Otterton smile is infectious, and Judy grins along with him. “Wanted me to send you some sunflowers.”

Nick’s eyes widen and he snatches the card out of Judy’s paw. “She remembered me?”

“Looks like it! She asked if I knew where to find the fox cop who brought her home. I told her I did, and I’d make the delivery personally.”

He nods faintly as his eyes scan the card—it’s not her handwriting. Tess’s or Bobby’s maybe, but he notices that she’s at least signed her name at the bottom.

_Thanks for all your help! I hope you enjoy the sunflowers—they’re my favorite!_

_\--Angela_  

“Who’s Angela?” Judy asks, plucking the card back out of his paw. “Is she a kid? Her handwriting is _terrible.”_

Nick ignores the quip and stares at the sunflowers—bright, yellow, happy. They look just like the ones she used to grow in her garden. He remembers how much sun their backyard got, how she slaved to keep them tall and bright and alive.

_“Mom, why do you grow the sunflowers? They seem like so much trouble.”_

_“Oh, Nicky. The best things in life are worth a little trouble. Besides look—look. Do you know why they’re called sunflowers?”_

_“…Because they’re yellow, like the sun?”_

_“Yes, but look—they follow the sun. They turn towards the light. And because of it they grow so tall. So you see? If you try your hardest to always face the light, to face what’s good and true, you’ll grow to be big and tall and strong, too. I promise.”_

_“…Eh, sounds mushy.”_

_“Hah! You won’t be saying that when I grow up to be taller than you!”_

_“Mom! You’re already grown up. But when I’m grown up, I’ll be taller than you, just wait.”_

_“Oh really? You’re not going to get very strong eating just blueberries.”_

_“I eat other stuff too! Hey, Mom?”_

_“Yes, Sunflower?”_

_“Can we have grilled cheese for lunch?”_

_“You bet we can.”_

“…Nick? Nick?”

He snaps out of it, blinking rapidly, and turns to see both Judy and Mr. Otterton staring at him, slightly confused.

“Sorry. I was just thinking about dinner.”

“Dinner?” Judy giggles. “We just ate lunch?”

“So?” Nick shrugs and a grin engulfs his face. “I’m always thinking about the next meal. Hey, you like grilled cheese sandwiches?”

“They’re okay, why?”

“Okay? _Okay?_ Carrots, you’ve been deprived. Tonight, I’m going to make you the best grilled cheese you’ve had.”

She opens her mouth to say something when the phone on his desk lights up. He presses line 1 and Clawhauser’s voice crackles on the other end.

“Hey, Nick?” he says, “There’s a young squirrel named Sam here. Says he lost his mom and wants you to help him find her.”

“I’ll be right there.”

He jumps from his desk chair, plucks a sunflower from the vase, and walks to the lobby, whistling all the while.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm writing another story but then I thought of THIS and I couldn't get it out of my head so....here it is. I haven't forgotten about the other one, I promise! Sometimes I like to gift fics, especially if I happen to write one while I'm reading a really good one, so I decided to gift it to DreamerInTheMist, who is writing a delicious fake marriage fic. It's been a wonderful distraction to a rather tough week, so thanks! Maybe you'll read this l m a o. Okay. Cool. I'm done. Hope you enjoyed :)


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